For two decades, my home internet was something I barely thought about. I was an Optus "lifer." I stayed through the price hikes and the contract changes because I believed the "Big Brand" myth: if you pay more for a premium name, you get premium reliability.

But as a 100% remote worker, my internet isn't just a way to watch Netflix; it’s my office, my commute, and my livelihood. Over the last couple of years, that 20-year relationship didn't just bend—it snapped.

If you’re working from home and still clinging to a legacy provider out of habit, here is why I finally made the switch to Aussie Broadband.

1. The Death of the "Reliability" Myth

The logic was simple: Optus is huge, so they must have the best backup plans. The reality? A massive nationwide outage in 2023, followed by significant state-wide issues in 2025.

When you work remotely, an outage isn't just an inconvenience; it’s a professional disaster. Disappearing from a client meeting or being unable to access cloud servers for a full day is a risk I can no longer afford. I realized that paying a premium price wasn't actually buying me a safety net.

2. The Support Gap: Offshore vs. Local

This was the clincher for me. When things go wrong—and in tech, they eventually do—the recovery process matters.

The Optus Experience: Navigating clunky AI chatbots and eventually being routed to an offshore call center. Trying to explain complex NBN sync issues to someone reading from a script thousands of miles away is exhausting.

The Aussie Broadband Experience: They use 100% Australian-based staff. When I call, I speak to someone who understands the local infrastructure and the urgency of my workday. For a remote professional, talking to a local expert who can "kick" your connection or run a line test instantly is worth its weight in gold.

3. The "More for Less" Paradox
I expected that moving to a highly-rated provider like Aussie Broadband might cost me more. I was wrong. By leaving the "Big Brand" legacy behind, I achieved a total "win-win":

Price: I am saving $30 every single month. That’s $360 a year back in my pocket.

Speed: My download speeds jumped from 250 Mbps to 500 Mbps.

I am literally paying less money for double the speed. As someone who constantly handles large file transfers and back-to-back video calls, the performance boost is life-changing.